Changes For Women’s World Cup 2021 Announced
World Rugby has announced a host of format changes for the 2021 Women’s World Cup, including the introduction of quarter finals and the expansion of squad sizes.
The changes, unveiled to coincide with the launch of the host selection process, include a revised match schedule, introduction of quarter finals and longer rest periods between games.
The length of the tournament has also been increased to 23 to 35 days to improve player welfare, whilst squad sizes have increased from 28 to 30 players.
The changes mean that classification matches, which had previously been played by teams that did not reach the semi-final stage, will be scrapped.
Any countries interested in hosting the tournament have until 31st May to express an interest, with a host nation being selected on 14th November.
World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “The launch of the host selection process for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 is an exciting milestone and follows a fantastic 2017 for women’s rugby. The exceptional Women’s Rugby World Cup in Ireland was the best attended of all time, inspiring on and off the field, and underscored why the event is such an attractive hosting proposition for unions and nations.
“We want to keep building the momentum, which is why we are introducing these changes to the format for the 2021 process. By ensuring an even more competitive and exciting tournament in the future, women’s rugby can continue to play an instrumental role in driving forward the development of the game and significantly broadening rugby’s global fan base.”
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